Google Earth aids archeology

An Italian computer programmer turned amateur archaeologist when he discovered the remains of a roman villa while scanning satellite pictures on Google Earth. Luca Mori was looking at images of the area around his home town of Sorbolo when he noticed 'unusual rectangular shadows' which on further examination he decided were the outlines of a villa's inner courtyard. He contacted archaeologists in nearby Parma, who initially thought it might be bronze age remains until Roman ceramics were discovered at the site. ...more

Scripting - a detective's best friend

When his sister had her computer stolen in a burglary, R. D. Bridges came up with a cunning ruse to get the machine back. ...more

Microsoft launches Voice Command software for Pocket PC

Microsoft has announced Voice Command, its voice-control software for Pocket PC-based devices, including the Pocket PC Phone Edition. As its name suggests, Voice Command supports control of a handheld by speech alone. The software provides voice controlled calendar lookup, media playing, and hands free phone functionality, as well as the ability to launch applications. ...more

Apple beefs up iTunes telly

Apple has added 11 new TV shows to its iTunes video service in the US. The shows from NBC Universal include Law & Order, The Office, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno plus classics such as Knight Rider and Battlestar Galactica. 'We are committed to helping viewers enjoy the wide breadth of our programs across an equally wide range of devices and distribution models,' said Bob Wright, CEO of NBC Universal. ...more

PC Pro specification change: Mesh Matrix 64 3800+ Ultimate

Due to a shortage of high-end ATi chips, Mesh has been forced to change the specification of its Matrix 64 3800+ Ultimate, which won PC Pro's Ultimate PCs group test in issue 121. Although assured by ATi that 'Mesh is a priority', Mesh has no concrete allocation of the original graphics card, based on ATi's Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition, and therefore can't guarantee supply to its customers. The replacement card is based on nVidia's GeForce 6800 GT chipset (the GeForce 6800 Ultra is proving just as difficult to obtain in any volume). ...more